Obtaining the Perfect Smile

It is a fact of life that very few of us are born with the perfectly straight and gleaming white teeth that we see sported by movie stars and celebrities. Obtaining the perfect smile does take time and effort but with such dramatic improvements possible, it is really worth the effort.

Keeping your mouth clean and healthy coupled with regular visits to the dentist is a good place to start. We should all have a daily regime which includes brushing for at least two minutes twice a day. Flossing in between the teeth to remove plaque as well as food debris is important as this is an ideal place for enamel destroying bacteria to breed. This will lead to gum disease, tooth decay, cavities and eventually even abscesses.

Keeping your teeth in tip top condition however is only the first step. Luckily these days, regular visits to the dentist in childhood can help pick up problems early and in many cases, crooked teeth or overcrowding are dealt with early on. If this hasn`t been the case for you, discreet braces for adults are not uncommon and can gently ease your teeth into alignment.

Other treatments available to correct the appearance of crooked teeth include veneers or cosmetic bonding. Veneers are thin, custom made pieces of porcelain with are attached to the front of your tooth or teeth and can drastically improve the look of crooked or twisted teeth. Cosmetic or composite bonding can be used in much the same way but can also be used to fix broken or chipped teeth.

Staining and discolouring is a common problem. Coffee, red wine, foods such as curry and of course smoking, can all permanently stain teeth. Stains are either intrinsic (internal) or external (extrinsic) depending on the cause and there are a number of remedies available. Not all treatments are suitable for everyone and you should seek the advice of your dentist before setting your heart of a specific treatment.

There are any number of tooth whitening toothpastes on the market today and some of them are quite effective. However, due to the limited amount of time they are in contact with the teeth, this can only go so far in treating badly stained teeth. Bleaching is a popular treatment and is extremely effective in treating both extrinsic and intrinsic staining. Veneers can also be useful if you only need to cover up one or two stained teeth.

For many people, crooked or stained teeth can have a serious impact on their lives, affecting their self confidence and self esteem. There is not a problem that does not have a solution, gaps can be filled and low level gum lines can be corrected and it is worth bearing in mind that a little tooth whitening or the fitting of a veneer or two can make so much difference. Talk to a cosmetic dentist about what treatments may be suitable for you.